Young turk: Salma. Picture by Rana Islam

Bhagabangola, Nov. 21: When Salma Khatoon lost her father about two years ago, she was 12.

Her mother, Bijala Bibi, who had either been indoors or seen the world from behind a purdah, was all at sea with four children.

Unlike her mother, Salma, the eldest among the siblings, had six years of schooling behind her. She took the plunge.

Not even in her teens, Salma took charge of Sathi Bidi, which her father had set up 10 years ago at Liakatnagar in Bhagabangola, about 240 km from Calcutta. She employs 40 women who produce about 25,000 bidis a day. At 14, Salma is the sole earning member of the family.

Salma had to abandon Bhagabangola Girls? High School where she was in Class V, but the challenge of steering her family out of the crisis left little time to lament.

When Amir Sheikh died in January 2003, 10 employees quit. The 40 who hung on were all women.

One of them, Marjina Bibi, said: ?I have been working here for the past 10 years. After Salma?s father died, we thought the company would wind up. But we saw a tremendous force in the little girl. She painstakingly learnt the nitty-gritty of the business. Today, we depend on her.?

After paying her employees, Salma takes home about Rs 3,000 a month. One day, she hopes her brother and sisters ? students of a local primary school ? would help her expand business.

Murshidabad is said to have an annual bidi business worth Rs 1,000 crore. Trade sources said 20 crore bidis are manufactured daily by big, medium and small units.

Salma said: ?We were feeling lost after our father died. I abandoned my studies to take over the reins? Today, I have no regrets as I have been able to live up to the expectations of many around me.?

As Salma?s success story spread, there was no want of encouragement. Rejaul Karim, the general manager of the Pataka Group that runs the largest bidi manufacturing unit in Murshidabad, said: ?We were surprised to hear about the little girl?s struggle to keep her father?s unit going. We had also started small. We will try to provide her assistance.?

District magistrate N. Manjunatha Prasad said he has asked the Bhagabangola-I block development officer to meet Salma and find out how she can be helped through various government schemes. He added: ?I will visit Salma?s bidi manufacturing unit. She can be an inspiration to unemployed youths.?